


Who needs doctors when you have years of experience putting your joints back into their sockets?

by PhoenixAccio



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Don't Try This At Home, Gen, Medical Conditions, Otacon Has EDS | Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, dislocation, snake is Concerned, unless you Really know what youre doing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:08:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27180883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixAccio/pseuds/PhoenixAccio
Summary: Otacon falls and dislocates his shoulder but like. It's fine! Don't worry about it!
Relationships: Otacon & Solid Snake
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	Who needs doctors when you have years of experience putting your joints back into their sockets?

Snake nearly gives himself whiplash turning around when he hears Otacon yelp from behind him. He expects guards to have caught them somehow, even though he knows he's done everything right, and is already reaching for his gun as he turns only to watch Otacon slip on the stairs and just barely catch himself on the railing. 

"You okay?" Snake asks, alarmed. 

"Fine," Hal says, but his voice sounds choked as he releases the railing, arm flopping down to rest limply at his side. 

"You don't _look_ fine," Snake replied incredulously, heading back down the stairs to crouch by Otacon where he's sitting on the stairs. He eyes Otacon's shoulder which is currently sporting two distinct bumps where there should be only one. "Your shoulder is dislocated." 

"I know," Otacon gasps out, wincing as he shifts. 

"You need to let me relocate it, Otacon," Snake says, already running over the logistics of navigating this mission while protecting a now even more injured civilian. 

"No, it's fine," Otacon says, glancing at his very-dislocated joint. 

"It's not fine, Otacon, I understand if you're nervous but you'll slow us down even more if you--" 

He cuts himself off as Otacon calmly moves his arm into place and pulls it outwards, barely wincing at the loud pop as it relocates. Snake stares, suddenly struck with the urge to introduce this bizarrely competent civilian to Master Miller sometime. 

"Alright, lets go," Otacon says, getting to his feet and continuing up the stairs. 

"Did you just relocate your own--Otacon, you need to let me look at your shoulder." 

"No, it's fine, it happens. You can check it if you want but it's really no big deal." 

"It-- okay, whatever. Take off your coat," Snake says as he catches up with Otacon at the top of the stairs. 

Otacon obliges, and politely allows Snake to manipulate his arm as he examines it. After a few minutes Snake steps away, satisfied. 

"Well, it's relocated. You did a remarkably good job, as far as I can tell nothing else is damaged." 

"It's mostly just practice," Otacon deflects the compliment awkwardly. 

"Practice?" Snake asks dubiously. "How many shoulders have you relocated in your life, aren't you an engineer?" 

"Oh, no, I am! It wasn't other people's shoulders," Otacon clarifes unhelpfully. Snake is honestly kind of concerned for him at this point, and judging by the way Otacon immediately backtracks, it is very obvious. 

"I'm fine, I promise, my joints are just kind of like this. I have a condition," Otacon says quickly. 

"A condition, huh?" Snake replies, not entirely sure what else to say. 

"Uh, yeah, it's genetic. I promise I'm okay. If I went to a doctor every time I dislocated a joint, I would be spending more time in the hospital than out of it." 

Snake imagines Otacon means this to be reassuring, but doesn't make him feel hugely better about any of this. The urge to wrap this ridiculous man in bubble wrap or something is apparently making itself dramatically visible on Snake's face, because Otacon laughs, then turns to continue their trek upstairs as if nothing had ever happened.

**Author's Note:**

> I have ehlers-danlos syndrome and i Will project on every single character i see you Cannot stop me. 
> 
> also don't try to relocate your shoulder yourself if you aren't Absolutely Sure you know what you're doing, hal has experience doing this and he has checked with a doctor that it's fine


End file.
